Pixie Hollow was a massive multiplayer online role-playing game addition to the Disney Fairies franchise that ran from 2008 to 2013. It was produced by DisneyToon Studios and developed by Schell Games.
| Pixie Hollow | |
|---|---|
| Developer(s) | Disney Interactive Studios, Schell Games,[1] SilverTree Media[2] |
| Publisher(s) | Disney Interactive Studios |
| Platform(s) | Microsoft Windows, Mac OS X |
| Release | |
| Genre(s) | Massive multiplayer online role-playing |
| Mode(s) | Multiplayer |
Pixie Hollow was a massive multiplayer online role-playing game addition to the Disney Fairies franchise that ran from 2008 to 2013. It was produced by DisneyToon Studios and developed by Schell Games. The game was released to coincide with the 2008 film, Tinker Bell and revolved around Tinker Bell, a fairy character created by J. M. Barrie in his play Peter Pan and incorporating her fairy friends from the Disney Fairies animated works by the Walt Disney Company.
Critical reception[edit]
GameZone gave the game 6/10.[3] The game received the Parents' Choice Award, Silver Honor.[4] The game also received the Parents' Choice Approved award.[5]
A 2008 article from the magazine Variety about the site voiced concerns from parents that introducing children to online games at a young age may could 'one day make them a “World of Warcraft” addict.'[6] A New York Times article from 2007 voiced much of the same in its discussion about young children on the Internet,[7] and gave a short description of Pixie Hollow: 'The site will ultimately allow users to play games (“help create the seasons”) and interact with other “fairies.” When avatars move across the screen, they leave a sparkling trail of pixie dust, a carefully designed part of the experience.'
Disney Fairies Pixie Hollow Virtual World Online
Closing[edit]
Pixie Hollow closed on September 19, 2013.[8] Its closure was poorly received by users, especially bloggers in the community, many of whom created petitions to 'save Pixie Hollow'.[9] Such efforts seem to have been in vain; the game closed as planned and has not reopened.
Rewrite and Revival[edit]
Fans remained active on blog sites such as WordPress, and have been able to form communities dedicated to memorializing the game. One such fan community, FairyABC, has created a 'rewrite' of the game, as of 2016. Users there can join a virtual world similar to Pixie Hollow, but without many features of the original games.
References[edit]
- ^'Games Developed by Schell Games'. Schell Games. Archived from the original on 24 March 2014. Retrieved 24 March 2014.
- ^'SilverTree Media Products'. SilverTree Media. Retrieved 24 March 2014.
- ^Gibson, Shayna (December 4, 2010). 'Pixie Hollow Review'. GameZone. Retrieved December 5, 2012.
- ^Oldenburg, Don. 'Disney Fairies Pixie Hollow'. Parents' Choice. Retrieved 10 May 2014.
- ^Oldenburg, Don. 'Disney Fairies Pixie Hollow'. Parents' Choice. Retrieved 10 May 2014.
- ^Alexander, Leigh; Alexander, Leigh (2008-11-04). 'Disney Fairies: Pixie Hollow'. Variety. Retrieved 2019-08-18.
- ^Barnes, Brooks (2007-12-31). 'Web Playgrounds of the Very Young'. The New York Times. ISSN0362-4331. Retrieved 2019-08-18.
- ^'Disney Fairies Pixie Hollow'. D23. Retrieved 2019-08-18.
- ^'Fight to Save Pixie Hollow!'. Marigold's Musings. 2013-08-30. Retrieved 2019-08-18.
NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--At the 2008 American International Toy Fair, Disney Online officially unveiled the next exciting addition to the company’s line-up of virtual worlds –Disney Fairies Pixie Hollow, based on the wildly popular Disney Fairies franchise. Visitors to the new online world will be able to explore the homes and meadows that make up Pixie Hollow. Fans will play and chat with Fairy friends, go on quests for Tinker Bell, play games, earn badges, craft jewelry and clothes and personalize their Fairy world.
The first phase of Pixie Hollow is scheduled to launch later this year, followed by a continuous roll out of in-game enhancements and product features.
“Disney Fairies has proven to be one of the company’s most successful franchises and we are excited to give fans the chance to live and play in the magical world of Tinker Bell by bringing Pixie Hollow online,” said Steve Parkis, senior vice president, Disney Online. “Fans have already created millions of Fairy avatars on DisneyFairies.com, making it evident that there is a strong desire for additional content around these beloved stories and characters.”
Disney Fairies Pixie Hollow Virtual World Map
In 2007, the Disney Fairies franchise generated more than $800 million in global retail sales with a wide range of Disney Fairies products that have captured the imagination of girls worldwide. Also unveiled at the Toy Fair event was an innovative new line of Disney Fairies Internet-connected toys featuring Clickables technology. The products will be the first to link online play within the Pixie Hollow virtual world to play in the real world. The new Disney Fairies line featuring Clickables technology will give girls new ways to extend their online experience by sharing Fairies, creating friendships, earning in-game items and unlocking exclusive content through traditional toys.
In anticipation of the game’s launch, fans can now visit www.DisneyFairies.com to create their very own personalized Fairy avatar, complete with the ability to select clothing styles and colors, accessories, hair style and more. After creating and naming their Fairy, online guests can share their Fairy with friends and family via e-mail, choose from a selection of approved messages to leave others who have made and published Fairies on the site, and decorate a room in which their Fairy will live. To date, nearly 5 million Fairies have been created at the popular Web site.
Disney Fairies is the latest endeavor in the creation of immersive and engaging virtual online worlds for kids and families that Disney pioneered in 2003 with the creation of Disney’s Toontown Online, and followed up with the addition of Club Penguin and the recent launch of Pirates of the Caribbean Online. Leading virtual world industry analyst eMarketer predicts by 2011, an estimated 53% of U.S. children and teen Internet users will visit virtual worlds--up from 24% in 2007. (Source: eMarketer, September 2007)
About Disney Online
Disney Online (www.disney.com), a division of the Walt Disney Internet Group, produces the number one kids' entertainment and family community destination on the World Wide Web. Launched in 1996, Disney.com is the online gateway to all of the company's Disney-branded entertainment initiatives, providing comprehensive access to, and information about Disney movies, travel, television, games, mobile, music, shopping and live events. Disney.com also features Disney XD, a highly interactive broadband experience, that lets Disney.com guests create their own customized online channel with games, videos, music, and chat - all of which can be enjoyed simultaneously in an immersive environment.
In addition, Disney Online develops and publishes a range of online products and services including Pirates of the Caribbean Online, Disney's Toontown Online, Playhouse Disney Preschool Time Online, Disney Game Downloads, Disney Game Kingdom Online, Disney Connection and Hot Shot Business.
The Walt Disney Internet Group (WDIG) is a unit of The Walt Disney Company (NYSE:DIS).